London welcomes delegates to 14th EURETINA Congress

RETINAL specialists and researchers from across the globe gathered in London this week for the 14th annual Congress of the

European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA).

As one of the world’s most vibrant capital cities, London provides the perfect setting for this year’s gathering of clinicians and

surgeons interested in the research and treatment of retinal and macular diseases.

To add to the appeal of the meeting, the 14th EURETINA Congress has been scheduled to precede and overlap with several

other important ophthalmic meetings taking place in London this week: the XXXII Congress of the ESCRS and the 5th EuCornea

Congress.

Addressing the assembled crowd at the Opening Ceremony, Francesco Bandello MD, current president of EURETINA and

chairman of the Programme Committee, welcomed delegates to London for what he hoped would prove to be the most stimulating

and rewarding congress to date.

“I am delighted to announce that we have over 5,000 delegates registered for the congress this year, which is almost 1,000

more since the last meeting in Hamburg and shows that EURETINA continues to go from strength to strength. This is thanks to the

participation of highly regarded speakers and the willingness of so many delegates to travel from afar to hear their contributions,”

he said.

Dr Bandello said that he believed that the strategy of combining forces with the ESCRS and EuCornea to hold overlapping

meetings is the right one for delegates with so many pressing demands on their time.

“I believe that the combination of three superior scientific programmes provides a unique forum for global networking and makes

our congress in London a stimulating hub of research and knowledge exchange in worldwide ophthalmology,” he said.

As part of the Opening Ceremony, the EURETINA Lecture 2014 was delivered this year by Robert MacLaren, professor of

ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, on

the topic of gene therapy for

retinal disease.

Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, president-elect of EURETINA, brought proceedings to a close by wishing delegates a productive

and stimulating meeting. She stressed the importance of vision preservation for society as a whole and praised the work of the

delegates present in advancing the cause of science in this fascinating field. She said that she looked forward to seeing everyone

in Nice in September 2015 for the next EURETINA Congress.

As one of the world’s most vibrant capital cities, London provides the perfect setting for this year’s gathering of clinicians and

surgeons interested in the research and treatment of retinal and macular diseases.

To add to the appeal of the meeting, the 14th EURETINA Congress has been scheduled to precede and overlap with several

other important ophthalmic meetings taking place in London this week: the XXXII Congress of the ESCRS and the 5th EuCornea

Congress.

Addressing the assembled crowd at the Opening Ceremony, Francesco Bandello MD, current president of EURETINA and

chairman of the Programme Committee, welcomed delegates to London for what he hoped would prove to be the most stimulating

and rewarding congress to date.

“I am delighted to announce that we have over 5,000 delegates registered for the congress this year, which is almost 1,000

more since the last meeting in Hamburg and shows that EURETINA continues to go from strength to strength. This is thanks to the

participation of highly regarded speakers and the willingness of so many delegates to travel from afar to hear their contributions,”

he said.

Dr Bandello said that he believed that the strategy of combining forces with the ESCRS and EuCornea to hold overlapping

meetings is the right one for delegates with so many pressing demands on their time.

“I believe that the combination of three superior scientific programmes provides a unique forum for global networking and makes

our congress in London a stimulating hub of research and knowledge exchange in worldwide ophthalmology,” he said.

As part of the Opening Ceremony, the EURETINA Lecture 2014 was delivered this year by Robert MacLaren, professor of

ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, on

the topic of gene therapy for

retinal disease.

Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, president-elect of EURETINA, brought proceedings to a close by wishing delegates a productive

and stimulating meeting. She stressed the importance of vision preservation for society as a whole and praised the work of the

delegates present in advancing the cause of science in this fascinating field. She said that she looked forward to seeing everyone

in Nice in September 2015 for the next EURETINA Congress.